Raising Elite Competitors

Elite Competitor Society member, Jennifer asks: How I do prepare my 9 year old for a less successful season? She was top if her age group in swimming last year and she'll be at the bottom this summer. I don't want to make her feel like what's the point if I'm just going to lose, but I don't want her completely devastated either. For an opportunity to have your question ans...

Do you think there’s a difference between a female and a male athlete in terms of speed and strength?  To answer that, we are thrilled to have these professional insights from Conditioning Coach Erica Suter, a female athlete performance coach. She’s experienced in training young soccer players, both female and male athletes. And she went to graduate school and studied exercise science. Erica got h...

Your athlete daughter is likely busier than ever before. School, practice, social life, work.  You see the importance of mental training, but there are a lot of things to be done. How do we fit it in? Your daughter trains four days a week, and you know she needs mental training but would she be able to squeeze her time without outdoing herself? Thankfully, there are ways to get a "bang for yo...

Elite Competitor Society member asks: How can I help prevent burnout in my athlete? She trains year-round. I don't want to be pushy, but also know she has big goals she wants to achieve.   For an opportunity to have your question answered, make sure to submit it in the Elite Competitor Society ! Register for the Summer Strong Mental Game Bootcamp! We kick-off June 24th (registration closes Ju...

When you see your daughter playing the sport she loves, do you see goals for her? I'm not saying your goal about her play at the next level. Just simply the goal of seeing her enjoy more of what she's doing. And develop confidence through it. If you have that dream for her, then this is for you. Finally, we are bringing you inside The Elite Competitor Program for the FIRST time. I'l...

Looking for a way to help your daughter build confidence, level-up in her game AND help you support her, know what to say, and improve your relationship? Listen in as Colleen and Amelia share their journey through The Elite Competitor Program. Then, as Colleen says, "if anyone is on the fence about this, please just get on the side of doing it. You will not regret a thing. This has just been...

The car ride home after the game is one of your biggest opportunities to build your daughter's confidence. Unfortunately, many parents turn this into one of the most dreaded parts of an athlete’s playing experience.  Don’t be one of them! Moms, you have a significant impact on your daughters' self-esteem. And I don't want you to consider it a burden. Remember that you shape her conf...

Elite Competitor Society member asks: I know my daughter would really benefit from mental training, However, she isn’t convinced that she needs it. How do I tell her what it’s about without making it seem like I think something is “wrong” with her that needs fixing?  Looking for an easy way to bring up the mental game with your daughter (without getting eye rolls back?) Download our Convo Guide wi...

Thinking of joining the Elite Competitor Program?! Join me and Christina Jump, mom of ECP Alumni Taygin, in this special interview in which she speaks about her experience in the Elite Competitor Program! Learn why Christina had Taygin join the program and what has been most valuable for her from the perspective of a mom. *********** Helpful Links: Join the Elite Competitor Program today! Register...

Is it the right time to start learning about mental training? Should my athlete daughter be doing it in her off-season? What if she’s injured? I get these questions a lot. Parents are now realizing that athletes need mental training. They need to learn how to harness the power of their mind — how to come back from a miss, or a mistake. And if you’re wondering when 'mental training' fits...

Every athlete has that dream to level up their game. If you’re an athlete's parent, you probably know the struggle. They try to improve their physical work and special training. But why do they still feel like they’re not performing to their full potential? What else is there that’s missing to gain confidence? It’s not because they’re incapable, that makes it seem impossible to ascend to the...

An Elite Competitor Society member asks: How do you “train” a coach on how to talk and coach his team?! We have an amazing coach when it comes to volleyball skills and teaching our girls technique and playing skills but he has no idea how to talk, empower, motivate and bond the players…. For an opportunity to have your question answered, make sure to submit it in the Elite Competitor Society ! Reg...

So you're up real early and preparing all these snacks and vegetables in preparation for your daughter's game. Everything's all set and she’s all set with her gear and food. But what about you?  Showing up the best for your daughter starts with how you show up for yourself.  Let’s not forget that we are our daughters’ role models and whatever we do for ourselves and for them mirrors...

Make sure you're doing this to give your daughter a competitive advantage not just in her sport, but also in life.  Today, I want to talk about how you can give your athlete a competitive advantage not just in sports, but in life. Competitive Advantage: Perform Consistently Perform to potential Have an edge When it comes to giving our daughters a competitive advantage, many immediately go to...

Elite Competitor Society member, Cheryl, asks: My daughter holds back on defense (soccer) because she doesn’t want her teammates to think she’s coming in too strong or being too intense. It’s almost as if she sees playing aggressively as a negative. What is the best way to overcome this? For an opportunity to have your question answered, make sure to submit it in the Elite Competitor Society ! Reg...

Are you trying to lift up your daughter’s confidence through quick fixes?  Picture this: your daughter comes up to you and says, “I don’t think I’m good enough to win this competition or even make it to the official team lineup.” Your athlete is starting to deal with confidence and esteem issues. Now, you want to come up with something that can help her, a quick fix, if you will.  What are these q...

When your daughter comes up to you out of the blue and says, “I feel like I don’t fit in on my team,” with a frown on her face.  Would you offer advice and tell her what to do in these situations?  If so, she may likely learn to rely on other people to solve the problem for her. Do you know what the number 1 predictor of success on a team is? Psychological safety. This means that: Athletes feeling...

Elite Competitor Society member, Jen asks: How do I help my daughter achieve her goals? She wrote them on her bathroom mirror even - what can I do to help?  For an opportunity to have your question answered, make sure to submit it in the Elite Competitor Society ! Register for the Summer Strong Mental Game Bootcamp! We kick-off June 24th (registration closes June 19th). The earlier you register, t...

As a parent, how do you measure your child’s worth? Is it through how many wins they get? Through how many points they scored in their games? Or simply by how much you love them?  Young athletes want to make you feel proud of their achievements. They want to work hard and earn your appreciation and approval.  However, there’s a huge downside to this. Making you feel proud as their main source of m...

So much of our frustration comes from our own expectations of what we think “should” happen.  Consider the concept of “working”: “Is it working? “It’s not working” “Is this working?” Mindset Shift: “Don’t measure ‘working’ by your athlete’s behavior, but by y our behavior” Measure it by what is in our control: Our own approach Our own behavior Instead of measuring it by our athlete’s behavior: She...

Elite Competitor Society member, Licette asks: Good morning! Since I found your Facebook group I have changed the way I act when my daughter plays and it she loves the change in me, but now I listen to the other parents do the things I used to do. How do I tell them to stop or just tell them to keep their comments to themselves because now that has become a pet peeve and I see how their daughter’s...

Courage is an essential ingredient needed for all athletes to play to their potential, reach their goals, and enjoy what they're doing in their sport.  It is often forged in the unpleasant moments, the challenges, and the disappointments. It's in these moments that sports parents often hider the exact thing that athletes need - courage!  Life and leadership coach Meghan Patiño speaks int...

After my senior year in high school, I quit playing volleyball.  It was a shock to many of my coaches, teammates, and parents. Mostly because I was destined to play in college, somewhere.  There was pressure coming from all directions to be successful at the next level. It wasn’t a matter of if I was going to play in college, it was where.  Looking back, I can see how clearly one thing was control...

The time before your athlete competes is very fragile!  It's also a great time for you to focus on your own game plan so you can help build confidence and ensure she feels her best as she goes into her competition. Athletes often have a lot of feelings as they're preparing to compete. These could include: Nerves/Anxiousness Excitement Pressure The goal is that she goes out and feels conf...

Mistakes are part of every athlete's experience. It's the root of how they learn, improve, and get better.  However, they can be super tough to navigate! Especially because these mistakes are often happening on a large scale in front of people! Failing publicly (over and over) isn't something adults typically experience, yet it's part of an athlete's every day life.  And w...